Detailed and Real
by Shadow's Mirror
Summary: Ryou wants to play in the snow with a wary Bakura. Sequel to 'Snow Day'.


DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fanfiction produced for entertainment purposes only. Yu-Gi-Oh! and all related characters are the creations of Kazuki Takahashi.

 **Detailed and Real  
** By Shadow's Mirror

The snowstorms that had buffeted Domino City for five days straight had eased up for a single morning, only to return that afternoon, stronger than ever. But it seemed that the storm had outsmarted itself. Unable to keep up the intensified blizzard, it blew itself out after a single night of howling wind and driving snow.

In its wake, the city was left covered with a coating of pure white snow, as if it was a Gingerbread City and Nature had decorated it. Like the time Bakura had decorated a batch of Ryou's cupcakes by tipping a bag of icing sugar over them.

Bakura had to admit that he was impressed with how much extra snow had fallen in the night. It had already been deep from the earlier series of storms, but now it was a good foot deeper. Even so, Ryou's obvious delight had him confused. Although he had apologised for the 'snowball down the back of Ryou's jacket' incident the day before, Ryou seemed almost too eager to get outside. Bakura was suspicious. Wary that his Light had some ulterior motive for wishing to go out in the cold, wet stuff.

Like revenge on a Yami, for example.

So he watched his Light very carefully all through breakfast and while clearing up afterwards. His confusion grew as Ryou then fetched a large bowl and began to gather ingredients together. Unable to resist, he had to ask.

"I thought you wanted to go outside?"

Ryou looked at his Yami over his shoulder and smiled sweetly. "I do, but I need to prepare a few things, first. I will not be long. If you could get our things from the hall closet, that would be a big help. Thank you, Bakura."

Bakura frowned as he went to get their outdoor clothes. It had not escaped him that his Light had sent him away before he could see exactly what the boy was 'preparing'.

Ryou was all done by the time he returned and, adding to Bakura's unease, the boy refused to let his Yami see what was in the bowl, claiming it was to be 'a surprise'. He watched so closely that Bakura could barely manage to sneak even a little peek. Not that it helped at all.

What in the world did raisins, carrots and those little balls of bitterness Ryou called prunes have to do with snow?

Ryou smiled at his frowning Yami and led him outside, then around the side of the house to the front yard. "We might as well do it here. It will look really nice with all of the lights on the house."

He looked so happy and excited. Bakura's frown deepened and he stopped, his arms folded in his favourite 'I'm not budging from this spot until you explain yourself' pose. "What exactly is it that you want us to do out here?"

The sweetness of Ryou's smile sent a shiver of warning up Bakura's spine. His Light was enjoying himself far too much. He was definitely up to something.

"Something we haven't done together before."

As all sorts of possibilities, some decidedly better than others, started flitting through Bakura's mind, his Light's smile became even sweeter.

"I'm going to teach you how to make a snowman."

The better possibilities died a swift death as Bakura's stunned mind took in both the words and far-too-happy tone they were spoken in. "A snowman? You mean those piles of snow that those kids were making in the park when we passed it yesterday?"

Ryou nodded. "That's right. It was seeing those children having so much fun that made me realise we had never made a snowman together." Noticing his other's horrified expression, his excitement faded. "Um... unless you don't want to?"

Bakura's mind was racing.

Ryou wanted him to make a big pile of snow. Nothing odd there, right?

Except when you considered that, only the day before, Bakura had shoved a handful of snow down his Light's collar as part of a devious plan to sneak a hug. His Light had not been happy with him. His Light had been so not happy with him that Bakura had ended up on his back in a snowbank. Which led him to one thought about this new situation.

What could Ryou do to him with an even bigger pile of snow?

It was only the disappointed look on his Light's face that snapped Bakura out of his rather disturbing line of thought. He sighed internally. No matter what his Fate might be because of it, he couldn't say no.

"All right. I'm in. So what do I have to do?"

Following a short lecture on the right and wrong way to build a snowman that left Bakura wondering why Ryou had felt the need to mention, more than once, that covering a man up with snow was not how it was done, the two boys finally got down to work. After that, it wasn't long before they both stepped back to survey their results.

Bakura was grinning for more than one reason. Sure, he'd had a lot of fun making his snowman, and even more fun watching Ryou make his own. Who had known that his Light could look as happy as he had while piling up snow? Not to mention his near-constant giggle that had been so contagious Bakura hadn't been able to keep from smiling in response. But Bakura was also sure now that he'd been paranoid. Revenge? His Light? Never happen.

His grin widened as he noticed his Light picking up the mysterious bowl of ingredients and Bakura realised there was something even better than the knowledge that his Light wasn't going to push him into a snowman. "So now do I get to see what's in there?"

Ryou smiled wryly at his Yami. "As if you did not sneak a peek while we were inside." Before his Yami could protest his non-existent innocence, Ryou went on. "We need these to decorate the snowmen. Good decorations make all the difference." He held out the bowl. "Go on, there's plenty for both of us." His smile was happy again.

Bakura studied the contents curiously and picked out a carrot, two prunes and a handful of raisins. "So I just stick these on the snowman?"

"Yes." Ryou nodded distractedly as he turned to his own snowman. "You just push them a bit into the snow. Not too much, especially with the raisins. They're supposed to make the snowman look more detailed and real, not dinted."

"Ah. Got it. More detailed and real."

Ryou was so distracted with his snowman decorating that he failed to notice the smirk in Bakura's voice.

Prunes for eyes, a carrot for a nose, a line of raisins for a sweetly smiling mouth, another line of raisins for coat buttons and Ryou was done. He was smiling happily at his snowman when Bakura spoke up. "All done!"

Ryou turned to his Yami, still smiling. "Me too. How did yours turn out?" He moved to the Yami's side to study his other's handiwork.

It took only a glance at Bakura's snowman's face for Ryou to realise something wasn't quite right. Raisin eyes, nose and mouth? Where were the prunes and... Ryou's gaze moved down over the rest of the snowman.

"You said to make him detailed and real, so I did." Bakura's smirk matched the slanted line of raisins on his snowman's mouth almost exactly, except his smirk grew as his Light gasped in shock.

"Bakura! That is NOT where the carrot is supposed to go!"

The End


End file.
